Levi Strauss Kicks Off Clothesline Design Contest

Who says you can't improve on a clothesline? Jean giant Levi Strauss & Co. is launching a "Care to Air" contest June 1, asking green pioneers and inventors to submit new air-drying solutions. The prize is $10,000 and will be announced mid-August.

The effort is the latest in Levi's environmental "Care Tag For Our Planet" effort launched earlier this year, which changed product care tags to include information about how consumers can reduce the environmental of clothes once they leave the store, including using cold water and donating used clothing.

The company says about 92% of U.S. households have a dryer, and that line drying is one of the best ways consumers can limit energy use.--Sarah Mahoney